Newly-published book celebrates rich history of the Flint Metro League

As part of its celebration of 50 years serving high school athletics in the greater Flint area, the Flint Metro League is pleased to announce the publication of a book detailing its history, a 300-page paperback now available through major online book retailers.

The Flint Metro League began in the fall of 1968 when charter members Ainsworth, Carman, Fenton, Holly, Lapeer and Swartz Creek high schools started competing for league championships in seven boys’ sports and scheduling contests between league members in four girls’ sports.In the fifty years since then, the conference has had 17 different member high schools and sponsored 24 boys’ and girls’ sports, with member schools winning 30 MHSAA state team championships and 181 of its athletes winning individual state championships.

“The Flint Metro League:50 Years of Sharing the Journey and Leading the Way” (ISBN #9781642373547) details the creation and development of the league, as its growth paralleled the development of new sports at the high school level and reflected changes in enrollment patterns at area high schools.The accomplishments of each of the 17 high schools that have belonged to the league are outlined, as are every year’s league champions in every sport.Over 150 photos from yearbooks and newspaper archives highlight the most notable athletes in each of the 24 sports ever sponsored by the Metro League.The 56 athletes who have been named first team all-Flint Metro League in at least three different sports are pictured, along with the 99 coaches who have won at least three league championships.120 pages of the book contain an index of every first team all-league athlete over the fifty-year history of the Metro League, a list containing over 5,800 names.

Compiled on behalf of the league by long-time Lapeer East athletic director Gary Oyster, part history and part sports almanac, “The Flint Metro League:50 Years of Sharing the Journey and Leading the Way” is being sold through major online book retailers like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.In this way the Flint Metro League’s current and past member schools hope to share the story of its half-century of success with those who participated in it or who are simply interested in how the league was created and why it continues to “Lead the Way”.